Packaging machine



Nov. 30, 1943.

F. B. CASEY PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July 24, 1940 FIG.

FRANCIS B. CASEY lNVENTOR ATTORNEY.

recenseren s, ice

Francis B. Casey, Belmont, Mass., assgno to Dewey and Almy Chemical Company, North Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachuseits Application July 24, 1940, sensi Nt. 347,205

e claims. (ci. 22e-47) 'I'his invention relates to automatic lifting apparatus and particularly to a mechanism capable of lifting the heavier articles such as hams, turkeys and roasts from the expansion chamber of vacuum packaging apparatus. In a process commercialized under the trade name Cry O Vac, an elastic, expansible bag is placed over the open end ci a vacuum chamber and theair pressure is rapidly lowered in the space between the walls of the chamber and the bag. Being elastic, the bag expands until it is forced into tight contact with the entire interior surface of the chamber. At this point, a dressed turkey, ham, or roast is inserted in the lined chamber, and a valve in the air exhausting pipe is closed. The mouth of the bag is then snapped ofi from the rim of the chamber and the bag and contents lifted out of the chamber. Then an evacuating nozzle is thrust into the open mouth of the bag which is then gathered by the hand of the operator and tightly held about the nozzle. Air is then pumped out from between' the turkey, etc. and its elastic envelope. Subsequently, the bag is hermetically sealed and the turkey sent to the freezer and cold storage.

Although an operator may work all day onchickens and broilers without unduefatigue, it is quite otherwise when turkeys, hams, and roasts are handled, for the full Weight must be lifted by the operator two feet or more with each packaging operation and held suspendedl while the bag is evacuated.

It is an object of this invention to expedite the packaging technique above described and to produce a lift which will raise the turkey out oi the vexpansion chamber automatically at a predetermined time.

In the drawing y Fig. 1 is a side view of a turkey packaging machine showing in dotted outline the expansion chamber and the vacuum pump in their respec- Inside the cylinder Il- I,V provide' a piston I3 carried on e. hollow piston rod M, the open end of which carries the ared evacuating nozzle I5. Preferably the nozzle bears a perforated dia.- phragm 30 which prevents loose bits of meat from lao being sucked into the apparatus. The cylinder il is provided with heads i6 and il. The upper head i6 bears a pipe connection i8 which leads through the pipe It to a two-way valve 2i, While the lower. head il carries a piston guide 22, and is protided with air ports 23 and 213.

In operation, the operator snaps the emansible bag 25 over the open endY of the expansion chamber i2 and steps on the treadle 26 which is connected through linkage 2l to the valve ai. The pump 2t then exhausts the air in the expansion chamber i2 through the pipe connection 28. When the -bag lines the wall of the chamber a. turkey, for example, is inserted 'in the bag. Then the operator removes his foot from the treadlc and spring 3| pulls the two-way valve into its alternative position where the pump 28 is connected to the pipe i9.

It is possible ,to allow the piston to iit so freely that therod and evacuating nozzle will fall oi their own Weight, but many operators prefer to have the nozzle-out of the way until wanted. In such a case, the piston leathers are tted so tightly that the rod cannot fall, but must be pulled downwards.

The neck of the bag which has been removed from the rim of the chamber is then gathered about the evacuating nozzle l5. At rst, air in the bag is sucked out and then, as the bag hugs the turkey tightly, air entering through the ports 23 and 24 forces the piston upward, lifting the bag and turkey together. Spinning the turkey after it is lifted free of the container forms a twisted seal in the neck of the bag which may be permanently heat sealed, if the bag material permits, or securely tied in any manner.

l I claim: Q

1. In food packaging apparatus, an expansion chamber, vacuum operated means for lifting a package from the chamber, said means including a retractible evacuating nozzle centrally positioned over the chamber, means for removing air from the chamber and said means for expanding and evacuating a package respectively, conduits connecting the air removing means to the chamber and to said vacuum operated means, and means rendering the chamber and the vacuum operated means alternately operative.

2. Packaging apparatus comprising an open ended expansion chamber, vacuum operated means for lifting a package from the chamber including a retractible evacuating nozzle positioned over the open end of the chamber, means associated with said nozzle and operative upon shutting oil of air to said nozzle to retract the 2 assunse vacuum operated means for evacuating a container and lifting it from the chamber including a cylinder, a piston, an evacuating nozzle, and

a hollow piston rod arranged to permit air to l0 pass from the nozzle to the head space in the cylinder above said piston, air passages leading into the cylinder below the piston, and common means for withdrawing air i'rom the chamber and said vacuum-operated means whereby upon l the application of suction to the head space oi' said cylinder and upon the shutting o of the air supDLv to said evacuating nozzle, the piston will be raised by atmospheric pressure.

FRANCIS B. CASEY. 

